Not all law officers are out to get you, only a few.
Those few make the good ones look bad.
I want to be fair so let’s all be fair and honest.
I spent all day out in the backwater hunting deer and ducks in a slow drizzle rain. My fowl weather gear kept me dry but it didn’t keep me warm. The wind chill factor made the 38 degrees feel more like 28 degrees. I shot three wood ducks at daybreak and that’s the limit, so I spent the rest of the day hunting deer. With the river up only a few ridges stick out of the water. Hunting the ridges didn’t produce any deer but I did get to see them as they left and went into the backwater just out of gun range.
Right before dark the wood duck came in to roost and it was tempting to kill thirty or forty but I refrained. Making my way by boat back to the river turned into a job. First I got out of the deep slough with out knowing it, second I was in a flat swamp with cypress knees hiding just under the water. My boat bounced off one knee and onto the next one.
Somehow I managed to get back into the slough.
Dark came early and I broke out the q-beam spotlight. Now I am breaking the law. I have a gun and a spotlight; this is called night hunting or poaching. No! I am trying to see where I am going and in the pitch black darkness you need a light. As usual I took the wrong turn and was back behind the ridge that I needed to be in front of. There were cypress knees and stumps everywhere, I hit them all.
After what seemed like forever I was able to get back to the river and head to the landing. Out of know where came a boat with blue lights on. Sure enough, a game warden pulled right up beside me. I didn’t throw my gun or light overboard and I had on my boat running lights. When we pulled into the landing the warden was on me like white on rice.
I showed him my federal duck stamp, boat registration, whistle, boat ore, life jacket and ect., but he wasn’t satisfied. He asked what I was doing with a light and a gun and didn’t I know it was against the law to night hunt. I asked him if he saw anything illegal like a deer that I could have shot after dark. No, just a light and a gun (that wasn’t loaded).
Where is common sense and good judgment? It was after dark and I had been out hunting, got lost and was returning to my truck. I used the spotlight to find my way and the gun was in the boat before it got dark. Now that makes sense to me but he wanted to charge me with night hunting.
Being cold, hungry and tired, I didn’t need this. He said that he would take my
gun and light for evidence. I wasn’t in a
good mood, I do my best to respect the law. A few years back, I was in Vietnam out in the jungle crawling around in the mud without a light. No one owes me anything and I don’t want any special favors for what I have done. I have had flashbacks of being captured by the enemy and taken as a P.O.W. No, I wasn’t in the mood to give up my gun. I let him know that I wasn’t a criminal and a little respect would go a long way. What ever happened to being servants of the people? Why is it that if you have a gun and a badge that you have the right to treat hunters like outlaws?
Mr. Claude Hicks was a game warden when I was growing up and a man’s man. He wasn’t out to get you but to help you and was a gentleman at all times. If your boat didn’t have a whistle, after he warned you to get one then the next time you better have one in your boat. Mr. Hicks treated you fair and with courtesy. Not like you were an outlaw.
Once Mr. Hicks had a flat tire and was out on a backwoods road. We boys came by and changed the tire for him, out of respect. He said the three of us had been reported for squirrel hunting out of season. He also said that he would be out in our neck of the woods. He didn’t say anymore, he didn’t have to.
Now days the wardens will write you up for being outdoors. It seems that "hear-say" is evidence and that we are all guilty until you can prove that you are innocent.
